2009.06.15 EDA Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

R & E Practice Firm Visits in the Community BUSINESS RESOURCES The local BR&E Visitation Leadership Team should COORDINATOR participate in two practice firm visits prior to the Volunteer Visitor training. Participating in these practice visits will What do you need to be a good Business Resources Coordi- help the Leadership Team to answer questions volunteers nator? People skills are important. Knowledge of state and may ask about firms during their visitation training. These federal programs to help business also can be an asset. If "practice"visits double as the"real"visits. Thus,the you become the Business Resources Coordinator,your job concerns of the firms should be addressed,and the survey will be to organize immediate follow-up to individual should be copied and sent in with the other surveys. Below business concerns. The long-term success of a BR&E are some tips on doing the practice visits: Visitation program depends largely on the effectiveness of handling this follow-up,because tangible early successes Choose any firm,but go to two different firms. help keep the team energized for carrying out the long-range • plans for community action. The individual business • Participate! All members of the Leadership Team need concerns are often called"red flag issues,"because of their to visit at least one firm. important or urgent nature. The role and responsibilities of the Business Resources Coordinator,Leadership Team,and This is particularly true for team members who think that Task Force to follow-up on these immediate concerns are they do not need to go or who talk about having experience outlined in this section. Immediate follow-up work can be doing this. If their experience and biases are different than very tedious and time-consuming if you tackle it alone. The what will be recommended during the volunteer training,it best follow-up work is accomplished in a cooperative is very important that they go through the visits as we will fashion. If you are the Business Resources Coordinator,you be recommending them. Then if they want to suggest have the following responsibilities: differences,that is okay. But some of the"20-year experts" in economic development do not know how to do the visits Help other members of the Leadership Team. correctly. It is a lot smoother to demonstrate the best way to • Visit Firms. do it than to have to debate these points in front of all the Establish contacts with state or federal agencies that can help local firms. volunteers. • Prepare localized factsheet on development programs. • Send firms a copy of the letter and the survey before the Organize the"red flag review of surveys"by the Task visits. Either mail or deliver the cover letter and survey Force. to the firm. Be sure that you have the most current Mail thank you notes and the localized factsheets to survey before doing this. Check with your state firms after the visits. sponsor. • Assign a Task Force member to handle each immediate business concern. • Handle immediate follow-up from visits. The practice visits are the official visits for these firms. The What is actually needed for each of the above items? What Leadership Team needs to handle the follow-up in the follows is more detail. same fashion as the Task Force would later. Every firm is important! Help Other Members of the • To provide feedback for your BR&E Consultant and Leadership Team for the Volunteer Visitors,list your reactions to the practice visits on the sheet in Appendix E. As a member of the Leadership Team,you must attend Leadership Team meetings regularly and familiarize yourself with the roles of other Leadership Team members. Naturally,as part of the Leadership Team,you also serve on the Task Force. Reading this booklet will provide that information,so you can help others when they need it. 8 — Local Leadership Team Manual